Plante
Nicholas Phan Tenor
Loving Clara Schumann
Bach’s St. John Passion
MUSICIAN ROSTER 2024-2025
Antoine Plante, Conductor
Lynn Wyatt Artistic Director Chair
VIOLIN
Jonathan Godfrey
Concertmaster
Anabel Ramírez
Assistant Concertmaster
Oleg Sulyga
Principal Second Violin
Joanna Becker
Ryan Cheng*
Lucinda Chiu
Laura Cividino
Matthew Detrick
Andrés González
Jackson Guillen
Marisa Ishikawa
Kana Kimura
Matt Lammers
Maria Lin
Sean O’Neal
Cristina Prats-Costa*
Emily Richardson
Katrina Savitski
Jacob Schafer
Ervin Luka Sešek
Rachel Shepard
Ariya Tai
Hannah Watson
Kirsten Yon
VIOLA
Kathleen Carrington, Principal
Amber Archibald
Matthew Carrington
Rachel Halvorsen
Matthew Weathers
Rainey Weber
CELLO
Eunghee Cho, Principal
Keiran Campbell
Matthew Dudzik
Christopher Ellis
Ellie Traverse Herrera
Kristiana Ignatjeva
Patrick Moore
Caroline Nicholas
Annamarie Reader
DOUBLE BASS/VIOLONE
Deborah Dunham, Principal
Hunter Capoccioni
Paul Ellison
Erik Gronfor
Elvis Martinez
Antoine Plante
THEORBO/GUITAR
Héctor Torres González Principal
FLUTE
David Ross, Principal
Immanuel Davis
Andrea LeBlanc
OBOE
David Dickey, Principal
Andrew Blanke
Pablo Moreno
Pablo O’Connell
CLARINET
Thomas Carroll, Principal
Elise Bonhivert
BASSOON
Nate Helgeson, Principal
Georgeanne Banker
Allen Hamrick
TRUMPET
Kris Kwapis, Principal
Amanda Pepping
HORN
Todd Williams, Principal
Burke Anderson
Nate Udell
PERCUSSION/TIMPANI
Jesús Pacheco, Principal
HARPSICHORD/ORGAN
Mario Aschauer, Principal
Bryan Anderson
Brad Bennight
HARP
Caitlin Mehrtens, Principal
TEACHING ARTISTS
Kathleen Carrington
Andrés González
Daphnee Johnson
Fiona Lofthouse
Stephen Martin
Brenda Rengel
Mayara Velásquez
*Mercury-Juilliard Fellow
A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Welcome,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to two extraordinary programs of music that showcase the depth, beauty, and innovation of the classical repertoire.
The first program, Loving Clara Schumann, is a truly unique multimedia production that invites us to journey through the life, relationships, and artistry of one of the most remarkable figures in music history. Through the lens of Clara Schumann, we delve into her connections with her father Friedrich Wieck, husband Robert Schumann and friend Johannes Brahms, exploring their shared passions, joys, and tribulations.
At the heart of this production is the timeless beauty of Lieder, a form where German composers poured their deepest inspirations into the fusion of poetry and music. To enhance the storytelling and drama, we have commissioned Marlana Doyle to create stunning choreography, adding a new dimension to this repertoire. These dances bring Clara’s story to life in ways words alone cannot capture.
This innovative concert presentation is the vision of Director Tara Faircloth, whose creative work has been instrumental in shaping this unforgettable experience. Collaborating with her, selecting and arranging works to bring this concept to fruition has been a true joy, and we are thrilled to share the result with you tonight.
The second program is Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion, a cornerstone of the Baroque repertoire and one of the most profound and moving works in music history. This masterful retelling of Christ’s last days invites us to reflect on themes of sacrifice, faith, and redemption,
expressed through Bach’s unparalleled arias, choruses, and dramatic narrative.
Tonight’s performance features a small ensemble, bringing an intimate and deeply expressive approach to this monumental work. Nicholas Phan and our talented vocal soloists from Mercury Singers’ own roster bring Bach’s characters and emotions vividly to life, supported by an ensemble performing on period instruments.
A special thanks to Betsy Weber, Mercury Singers Director, whose meticulous preparation and artistry ensure that tonight’s performance reaches the highest standards. Her leadership and dedication are an essential part of bringing Bach’s vision to fruition.
Thank you for joining us for these two exceptional performances. Whether through the poignant storytelling of Loving Clara Schumann or the transcendent beauty of St. John Passion, we hope you leave feeling deeply connected to the enduring power of music.
Warm regards,
Antoine Plante Artistic Director
LOVING CLARA SCHUMANN
February
8-9 / 2025
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
Antoine Plante, Conductor & Co-Creator
Tara Faircloth, Director & Co-Creator
Rachel Chao, Piano
Megan Samarin, Mezzo-Soprano
Mark Diamond, Baritone
Lindsey McGill, Dancer
Dwain Travis, Dancer
Marlana Doyle, Choreography
Eric Watkins, Lighting Designer
Macy Lyne, Costume Designer
Ryan Barrett, Stage Manager
Stephanie Britton, Assistant Stage Manager
Eman Hamid, Costume Assistant
Ben Doyle, Videography and Graphic Design
Music by:
Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896)
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
All music arranged by Antoine Plante
Eric Watkins is represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE
ACT I
SCENE 1: YOUTHFUL LOVE
Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 2
Brahms
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 41, I. Andante espressivo — Allegro molto moderato
R. Schumann
Er ist gekommen
C. Schumann
Morgens steh’ ich
R. Schumann
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 41, II. Assai
Agitato
R. Schumann
Er der Herrlichste
R. Schumann
Soirees musicales, Op. 6, Notturno
C. Schumann
Ich kann’s nicht fassen
R. Schumann
Du ring an meinem Finger
R. Schumann
SCENE 2: COMPLICATION
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 41, IV. Presto
R. Schumann
Meine Rose
R. Schumann
Warum willst
C. Schumann
Ich stand in dunklen Träumen
C. Schumann
Capriccio Op. 76, No. 1
Brahms
INTERMISSION
ACT II
SCENE 1: LOSS & LONELINESS
Oh weh des Scheidens
C. Schumann
Sie liebten sich beide
C. Schumann
Nun hast du mir den ersten
R. Schumann
Piano Quintet Op. 34, I. Allegro ma non troppo
Brahms
SCENE 2: ADULT LOVE
Wir Wandelten Brahms
Seit ich ihn gesehen
R. Schumann
Schöne Wiege meiner Leiden
R. Schumann
Symphony No. 3, III. Poco allegretto Brahms
Anfangs wollt’ ich fast verzagen
R. Schumann
Intermezzo Op. 118, No. 6
Brahms
Liebst du um Schönheit
C. Schumann
The original production of Loving Clara Schumann was made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This performance is sponsored in part through a gift from Lloyd Kirchner.
Empowering through Music
ConocoPhillips is a proud sponsor of the Mercury Chamber Orchestra and this year’s ConocoPhillips Neighborhood Series
Mercury continues to receive critical and audience acclaim for its innovative and welcoming performances, while also impacting the lives of young Houstonians through award-winning music education programs. We commend the orchestra on its mission to serve the community by celebrating the power of music—through teaching, sharing, and performing with passion, intimacy, and excellence. www.conocophillips.com
In the performance, Clara Schumann will be portrayed by three female artists: a pianist, a dancer and a singer. One male dancer and one male singer play all the other roles, and can be recognized by the color of the scarf they wear: green for Robert Schumann, yellow for Johannes Brahms, and red for Friedrich Wieck.
SYNOPSIS
Late in life, concert pianist Clara Wieck Schumann plays the deeply intimate Intermezzo, written for and dedicated to her by Johannes Brahms. As she plays, she thinks of those she has loved — the joys shared, the personal tragedies — and the ghosts of her past gather around. As the Intermezzo draws to a close, we see three different aspects of her person emerge. A singer, dancer and pianist Clara take us on a journey of remembrance.
We see her meet Robert Schumann, the genius composer for love of whom she engaged in a hostile battle with her mentor father. We experience their highly charged romantic early years, and mourn the creeping mental illness that destroys their marriage, leading to his dramatic suicide attempt, incarceration in a mental asylum, and premature death.
We meet the entrancing young composer Johannes Brahms, an important friend to both Robert and Clara. Clara’s intimate confidant, he ultimately breaks her heart when he refuses to consider the idea of marriage. Deeply wounded, Clara turns to the companion who has fortified her throughout her tumultuous life: her music. Drawing strength from words she set during her first year of marriage, the three Claras gather. Clara is no stranger to pain, but it will not define her. Instead, she chooses Love.
Tara Faircloth, Stage Director
Clara Wieck Schumann
Robert Schumann
Friedrich Wieck
Johannes Brahms
Director Tara Faircloth
Stage director Tara Faircloth’s work has been seen in opera houses around the nation and beyond. Critics hailed her recent directorial debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago: a “wickedly funny, elegantly sung, cleverly directed production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.” In recent seasons, she created new productions of Semele (Wolf Trap Opera), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Juilliard Opera), Amadigi (Ars Lyrica Houston), and Don Giovanni (Arizona Opera). The 24/25 season finds Ms. Faircloth with debuts at Pittsburgh Opera and Palm Beach Opera, and remounting two of her own productions: Pagliacci at Utah Opera, and Loving Clara with Mercury.
Taiwan native Yi-Chiu Rachel Chao has performed extensively as a solo and collaborative pianist in Taiwan, Canada, and the United States with appearances in major venues including Carnegie-Weill Recital Hall, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Houston Hobby Center. Dr. Chao is currently a staff pianist for the voice program at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and she maintains a private studio in Richmond, TX. She has collaborated with the Houston Grand Opera, the Mercury: The Orchestra Refined, and the Houston Ballet,
Future seasons include a new production of Elmer Gantry and expansion of the Fidelio she created for the Houston Symphony in 2017. In addition to her thriving career in regional houses such as Utah Opera and Arizona Opera, Ms. Faircloth has worked extensively on the directing staff of such companies as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Central City Opera, and she spent summer 2024 working with the fine young artists at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. She makes her home in Austin, Texas, where she enjoys keeping a large garden and fostering kittens for Austin Pets Alive.
including the New York City tour on Reflections and its 50th Anniversary Gala. Dr. Chao has previously taught at California State University, Bakersfield, served on piano faculty at Camp Encore-Coda in Sweden, Maine, and was the pianist for Houston Masterworks Chorus for six seasons. She studied with Walter Cosand at Arizona State University (Bachelor of Music), and with Alan Chow at Northwestern University (Masters of Music and Doctor of Music).
Piano
Dr. Yi-Chiu
Rachel Chao
Megan Samarin
Mezzo-Soprano
Mezzo-Soprano Megan Mikailovna Samarin, praised by Opera News as a “poised, classy singer with an impressively even, supple mezzo-soprano,” is a recent alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio.
Recently, Ms. Samarin debuted with the New York Philharmonic in Mozart’s Requiem under the baton of Manfred Honeck and sang alongside Joseph Li in Opera America’s Emerging Artist Recital in New York City. Other highlights include Sesto in Giulio Cesare, Siébel in Faust, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Carla Mae in the world premiere of Rick Ian Gordon’s The House without a Christmas Tree, Lady Columbia in the world premiere of O Columbia, Lady Maresvale/ Revels in the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, Third Wood Nymph in Rusalka, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, and Johanna in Sweeney Todd at Houston
MARK DIAMOND
Mark Diamond is a highly sought after lyric baritone and voice teacher. This season, he performs with Austin Opera, Dallas Winds, and Texas Music Festival, among others. Known for his versatility, he excels in a wide array of operatic roles, concert works, and choral music. Highlights include featured performances with Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, and with orchestras such as Cincinnati Symphony and Seoul Philharmonic. Mark is a competition winner and recipient of several prestigious
Grand Opera. Ms. Samarin has also performed at Wolf Trap Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Aspen Music Festival and with the San Antonio Opera and Lexington Philharmonic. In the 2019-20 season, she covered the role of Ankhesenpaaten in Glass’ Akhnaten at the Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Samarin is a 2017 Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition Winner and performed at Carnegie Hall for the Gerda Lissner Foundation Winners Concert. She is a 2016 Sara Tucker Study Grant Award Winner as well as a 2017 District Award Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was also a finalist in HGO’s Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Ms. Samarin is a recipient of the Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant.
awards, including first prize at the HGO Concert of Arias in 2011. Earning his degrees from Georgia Southern University, Rice University, and University of Houston, Dr. Diamond currently teaches at Baylor University while maintaining an active performing career.
Lindsey McGill
Dancer
Lindsey McGill was born in Houston, Texas. She began her formal dance training under Elizabeth and Rosemary Molak in California and continued training at the Houston Ballet Academy under the direction of Ben Stevenson,
Dwain Travis
Dancer
Clara Cravey, Steve Brule, and Priscilla Nathan-Murphy. After graduating from Houston Ballet Academy, she continued her training at Bates Dance Festival, Springboard Danse Montreal, and LAUNCH. Lindsey has worked with Group Acorde, NobleMotion, Michele Brangwen Dance and Music Ensemble, Chapman Dance, Hope Stone Dance, Rivkah French Choreography, NW Dance Project, iMEE, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, O Dance, The Next Stage Project, KDNY, Wanderlust Dance Project, and DCDC 2. She has also had opportunities to dance in projects with Jacquelyne Jay Boe, Jennifer Mabus, Sara Draper, Amy Morrow, jhon r. stronks, Paola Georgudis, Amy Ell, iLuminate, and Frenticore. Lindsey has created dance works for NMD2, the Kinder High School for Performing
and Visual Arts, NW Dance Project, iMEE, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Revolve Dance Company, O Dance, Freneticore, 12 Minutes Max, Frenetic Fringe Festival, and the Big Range Dance Festival. Lindsey has also taught ballet and contemporary dance at a number of schools and programs including the Institute for Contemporary Dance in Houston, Hunter Dance Center, Houston Ballet Academy, NW Dance Project, and Peridance NYC. Lindsey lives in Houston where she performs, teaches dance, and choreographs. Additionally, Lindsey has a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Houston and Level 2-Bournonville certification in MUNZ BARRE®.
Photo by Fluid Frames
Dwain is a Houston native and began training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC at age 12. His professional career began with BAHBT in South Houston, where he spent four years as Principal and Artist in Residence under Luis Fuente and Lynette Mason Gregg. Other credits include: Houston Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Joffrey Ballet’s JKO School, the Harid Conservatory, and Nunamaana Immersive Dance Theatre. In 2017, Dwain joined Houston Met Dance, where he performed works from Mario Zambrano, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Dominic Walsh among others. In 2018, he co-founded and directed Juxtapose Arts Collective in South Houston.
His first piece of choreography, Dearly Departed, was selected for the RDA/SW Dance Festival and the 2010 Craft of Choreography Conference, and further awarded the RDA Choreography Connection Grant. His second piece, Pulse, was chosen for the 2012 RDA National Festival in Montreal, Canada. Other choreographic credits include: Barnstorm Dance Fest (2016), Austin Dance Project (2016 & 2017), blank/SLATE (2018 & 2019), and Houston Choreographers X6 (2019). He is a founding member of the Houston Contemporary Dance Company and excited to be entering his 6th season! @dwizzlestick
Photo by Claire McAdams
Marlana Doyle
Choreographer
Marlana Doyle (she/her) is originally from Massachusetts and graduated from Point Park University in 2001 with a BA in Dance. Marlana is the former Artistic Director of Met Dance, where she held various positions for seventeen
years. Under her direction, Marlana’s vision and leadership catapulted the company to new levels of excellence and growth while holding tightly to the company’s long tradition of diversity and versatility in its dancers, choreographers, collaborators, and content.
Marlana is the President & CEO of the Institute of Contemporary Dance which houses Houston Contemporary Dance Company and the Pre Professional Company HC2. Marlana is a member of Dance Source Houston, International Association of Blacks in Dance, Texans in the Arts and Dance USA. Marlana has served on the Dance USA Board and also served on the Performing Arts Houston’s Educational Committee, San Jacinto College Dance Advisory Board and the Leadership Committee for Arts Connect.
As a performer, Marlana has danced and generated roles in a range of works by renowned choreographers and artists. Marlana is also a guest teacher and an awardwinning choreographer for her many students in Houston and throughout the United States. She has choreographed for the City of Houston, Levi’s and Walmart, Apollo Chamber Players, Houston Chamber Choir, Houston Symphony, TUTS, Loop38, Kinetic Ensemble, ROCO, University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, Lamar University, Rice University and University of St. Thomas. She lives in Sugar Land, TX with her husband Ben and her two adorable daughters Olivia and Evie.
Lindsey McGill and Dwain Travis appear courtesy of Houston Contemporary Dance Company where Lindsey is a guest artist and Dwain Travis is a founding member.
Bach’s St. John Passion
22 / 2025
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
Mercury Chamber Orchestra & Singers
Antoine Plante, Artistic Director & Conductor
Betsy Cook Weber, Choral Director
Nicholas Phan, Evangelist
J.P. Williams, Jesus
Travis Falknor, Peter
Michael Kessler, Pilate
Jorge Martinez, Servant
Melanie Piché Miller, Handmaid
Briana Kerner, Soprano
Abigail Lysinger, Mezzo-Soprano
Stephen Ash, Tenor
Daniel Boyd, Bass
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 – 1750)
St. John Passion, BWV 245
CHORUS: Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Ruhm in allen Landen herrlich ist! (Lord, our Redeemer, whose glory is in all the world)
1 – THE ARREST IN THE GARDEN
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern über den Bach Kidron (Jesus went forth with his disciples across the Kidron Valley)
CHORUS: Jesum von Nazareth (Jesus of Nazareth)
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Jesus spricht zu ihnen (Jesus said to them)
CHORUS: Jesum von Nazareth (Jesus of Nazareth)
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Jesus antwortete: Ich hab’s euch gesagt, daß ich’s sei (Jesus answered: I have told you that I am he)
CHORALE: O große Lieb, o Lieb ohn alle Maße (O wondrous love quite limitless)
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Auf daß das Wort erfüllet würde (That the saying might be fulfilled)
CHORALE: Dein Will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich (Thy will, O Lord, our God, be done)
EVANGELIST: Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptmann (Then the band and the captain)
ARIA, MEZZO-SOPRANO: Von den Stricken meiner Sünden (From the bondage of transgression)
SCENE 2 – INTERROGATION BY THE HIGH PRIEST AND PETER’S DENIAL
EVANGELIST: Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu nach (And Simon Peter followed Jesus)
ARIA, SOPRANO: Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten (I follow thee too, my Savior)
EVANGELIST, HANDMAID, PETER, JESUS, SERVANT: Derselbige Jünger war dem Hohenpriester bekannt (And the servants and officers stood there)
CHORALE: Wer hat dich so geschlagen (O Lord, who dares to smite thee?)
EVANGELIST: Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden zu dem Hohenpriester Kaiphas (Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest )
CHORUS: Bist du nicht seiner Jünger einer? (Art not thou also one of his disciples?)
EVANGELIST, PETER, SERVANT: Er leugnete aber und sprach (He denied it)
ARIA, TENOR: Ach, mein Sinn (Ah, my soul)
CHORALE: Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück (Peter, faithless, thrice denies)
INTERMISSION
15
CHORALE: Christus, der uns selig macht (Christ who brings us joy)
SCENE 1 – INTERROGATION BY PILATE
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Da führeten sie Jesum von Kaiphas (Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas)
CHORUS: Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter? (What accusation bring ye?)
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Da sprach Pilatus zu ihnen (They answered and said unto him)
CHORUS: Wir dürfen niemand töten (It is not lawful for us to put any man to death)
EVANGELIST, PILATE, JESUS: Auf daß erfüllet würde das Wort Jesu (That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled)
CHORALE: Ach großer König (O mighty King)
EVANGELIST, PILATE, JESUS: Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm (Pilate therefore said unto him)
CHORUS: Nicht diesen, sondern Barrabam! (Not this man, but Barabbas!)
EVANGELIST, PILATE, JESUS: Barrabas aber war ein Mörder (Now Barabbas was a robber)
ARIOSO, BASS: Betrachte, meine Seel (Consider, O my soul)
ARIA, TENOR: Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken (Consider how his bloodstained back)
SCENE 2 – THE CONDEMNATION OF JESUS
EVANGELIST: Und die Kriegsknechte flochten eine Krone von Dornen (And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns)
CHORUS: Sei gegrüset, lieber Jüdenkönig! (Hail, King of the Jews!)
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Und gaben ihm Backenstreiche (And they smote him with their hands)
CHORUS: Kreuzige, kreuzige! (Crucify him!)
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Pilatus sprach zu ihnen (Pilate saith unto them)
CHORUS: Wir haben ein Gesetz (We have a law)
EVANGELIST, PILATE, JESUS: Da Pilatus das Wort hörete (When Pilate therefore heard that saying )
CHORALE: Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn (Thy bonds, O Son of God, most high!)
EVANGELIST: Die Jüden aber schrieen und sprachen (But the Jews cried out)
CHORUS: Lässest du diesen los, so bist du des Kaisers Freund nicht (If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend)
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Da Pilatus das Wort hörete, führete er Jesum heraus (When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth)
CHORUS: Weg, weg mit dem, kreuzige ihn! (Away, away with him, crucify him!)
EVANGELIST, PILATE: Spricht Pilatus zu ihnen (Pilate saith unto them)
CHORUS: Wir haben keinen König denn den Kaiser (We have no king but Caesar)
EVANGELIST: Da überantwortete er ihn daß er gekreuziget würde (Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified)
ARIA, BASS AND CHORUS: Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen (Haste, ye deeply wounded spirits)
SCENE 3 – THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS
EVANGELIST: Allda kreuzigten sie ihn (Where they crucified him)
CHORUS: Schreibe nicht: der Jüden König (Write not, “The King of the Jews”)
EVANGELIST: Pilatus antwortet (Pilate answered)
CHORUS: In meines Herzens Grunde (Within our inmost being)
CHORUS: Die Kriegsknechte aber, da sie Jesum gekreuziget hatten (Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments)
CHORUS: Lasset uns den nicht zerteilen (Let us not rend it)
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Auf daß erfüllet würde die Schrift (That the scripture might be fulfilled)
CHORALE: Er nahm alles wohl in acht (He thought of everything)
EVANGELIST, JESUS: Und von Stund an nahm sie der Jünger zu sich (And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home)
ARIA, MEZZO-SOPRANO: Es ist vollbracht! (It is finished!)
EVANGELIST: Und neiget das Haupt und verscheid (And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost)
ARIA, BASS AND CHORUS: Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen (My dearest Saviour, let me ask thee)
SCENE 4 – THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE
EVANGELIST: Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zeriß in zwei Stück (And behold, the curtain of the template was torn in two)
ARIOSO, TENOR: Mein Herz, indem die ganze Welt bei Jesu Leiden glecihfalls leidet (My heart, while the whole world shares Jesus’ suffering)
ARIA, SOPRANO: Zerfließe, mein Herze, in Fluten der Zähren (Dissolve then, heart, in floods of tears as thy tribute to our God)
SCENE 5 – THE BURIAL OF JESUS
EVANGELIST: Die Jüden aber, dieweil es der Rüsttag war (The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation)
CHORALE: O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn (Help us, Christ, the Son of God)
EVANGELIST: Darnach bat Pilatum Joseph von Arimathia (And after this Joseph of Arimatheaea)
CHORUS: Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine (Lie in peace, sacred body)
CHORALE: Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein (O Lord, send thy cherubs)
mercury singers
Now in its fourth season, Mercury Singers features twenty singers under the direction of Dr. Betsy Cook Weber. All have impressive credentials in terms of training and expertise both as collaborative, choral singers and as vocal soloists. They’ve been brought together to provide engaging, periodappropriate performances in Mercury’s distinctive style.
SOPRANO
Nicole Colby
Briana Kerner
Melissa Medina
Melanie Piché Miller
Grace Roman
ALTO TENOR BASS
Jennifer Breneman
Rachael Castillo
Rebecca Castillo
Stephanie Gabino
Kopesky
Abigail Lysinger
Betsy Cook Weber
Choral Director
Stephen Ash
Zachary Brabston
Jared Dees
Maximillian Macias
Jorge Martinez
Daniel Boyd
Mark Edenfield
Travis Falknor
Michael Kessler
J.P. Williams
Andreea Muţ, Rehearsal Pianist
Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is absolutely delighted to be working with Mercury once again! She currently serves as Artistic Director Designate of the Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir and will become Artistic Director in the 2025-26 season. She is active nationally and internationally as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer.
She began her career as a K-12 choral director and then served on the faculty of the University of Houston as Madison Endowed Professor and Director of Choral Studies as well as Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus. Both organizations have awarded her Emeritus status.
Under her direction, the University of Houston Concert Chorale was featured at
numerous state and national conferences and also won top prizes at prestigious competitions. The Houston Symphony Chorus, under her direction, performed with some of the world’s leading orchestral conductors including Juraj Valčuha, Andrés OrozcoEstrada, Christoph Eschenbach, Jane Glover, and Nicholas McGegan and also toured in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany.
In the summer of 2013, Weber became the thirteenth person and first woman to receive the TCDA’s coveted Texas Choirmaster Award. Her degrees are from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College, and the University of Houston.
six saxophones
October 13, 2024
Sunday, 5 pm
Century Square, College Station
flute, violin, bassoon, cello, guitars, bass, harpsichord
November 10, 2024
Sunday, 5 pm
First Presbyterian Church
THE STRING QUEENS
BACH TO BRAZIL
March 22, 2025
Saturday, 5 pm
A&M United Methodist Church
HAYDN, SHAW, BEETHOVEN
April 6, 2025
Sunday, 5 pm
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Friends of Chamber Music’s World Cultural Heritage Composition at the violin, viola, cello
February 1, 2025
Saturday, 5 pm
A&M United Methodist Church
April 20, 2025
Sunday, 4:30 pm
Rudder Theatre
fcmtx.org
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MISSIOn
Celebrating the power of music through teaching, sharing, and performing with passion, intimacy, and excellence.
VISION
• Be the most welcoming and innovative arts institution in Houston.
• Become an exemplary period instrument ensemble for the Nation.
• Transform the lives of a diverse audience through music.
NICHOLAS PHAN
Tenor
Described by the Boston Globe as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” American tenor Nicholas Phan is increasingly recognized as an artist of distinction. An artist with an incredibly diverse repertoire that spans nearly 500 years of music, he performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. An avid recitalist and a passionate advocate for art song and vocal chamber music, in 2010 Phan co-founded Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC), an organization devoted to promoting this underserved repertoire.
A five-time Grammy nominee, Phan’s most recent album, A Change Is Gonna Come, was nominated for the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. His previous albums, Stranger: Works for Tenor by Nico Muhly, Clairières, and Gods and Monsters, were nominated for the same award in 2023, 2020 and 2017. He is the first singer of Asian descent to be nominated in the history of the category, which has been awarded by the Recording Academy since 1959.
Sought after as a curator and programmer, in addition to his work as artistic director of CAIC, Phan is the host and creator of BACH 52, a web series examining the music of Johann Sebastian
Bach. He has created programs for broadcast on WFMT and WQXR and has also served as guest curator for projects with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, San Francisco Opera Center, and San Francisco Performances, where he served as the vocal artist-in-residence from 2014-2018. Phan’s programs often examine themes of identity, highlight unfairly underrepresented voices from history, and strive to underline the relevance of music from all periods to the currents of the present day.
briana kerner
Soprano
Valued for her light lyrical tone and beautiful blend, Briana has sung in choirs and chamber groups in the Houston area for several years. Briana performed with the Houston Chamber Choir as a choral and solo singer, traveling with the group, singing under renowned guest conductors including Maria Guinand and Simon Carrington, and recording works by composers such as Bob Chilcott and Jocelyn Hagen, in addition to the GRAMMY® Award winning Duruflé: Complete Choral Works. Most recently she performed with Mercury Chamber Orchestra as the soprano soloist for Bach’s Ein feste Burg. Currently Briana runs her own private voice studio, working with mostly high school age students,
Abigail Lysinger
Mezzo–Soprano
Abigail Lysinger is a mezzosoprano currently pursuing a Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Houston, where she studies with Professor Melanie Sonnenberg. Recent roles include Monitress in Suor Angelica, Jo in Little Women, L’enfant in L’enfant et les sortilèges, and Maggie in the workshop of Tom Cipullo’s brand new opera Hobson’s Choice. She performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center singing Lisetta in Crispino e la Comare by Federico and Luigi Ricci with Teatro Nuovo and was a US Scholar with the VOCES8 Foundation last season. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan where she studied with Professor Freda Herseth and had the opportunity to premiere and record various works as a
many of whom pursue music at the university level. Before becoming a voice teacher, Briana taught choir in Klein ISD working with her team to double the size of the choir program and leading choirs to successive sweepstakes streaks in UIL Concert/Sightreading Contests. Briana earned her degree at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, where she studied vocal performance and music education. Most of her time is spent as wife to her loving husband, Kevin and as homeschooling “boy mom” to their three fun-loving boys, Aaron, Joshua and Daniel.
soloist and chorister with Eugene Rogers and the UM Chamber Choir, including Door out of the Fire by Christopher Theofanidis, Magnificat by Bach, and Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson. Upcoming engagements include competing as a national finalist in the MTNA Young Artist Voice Competition and returning to Teatro Nuovo to sing Teresa in La Sonnambula. A native Dallasite, her love for singing began at an early age as a member of the Dallas Opera Children’s Chorus, singing in five productions including the Third Genie in Die Zauberflöte.
Houston-based tenor Stephen Ash frequently performs as a soloist in opera, concert, and recital repertoire. In 2024 he made his debut with First Coast Opera as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance. In the concert hall, Stephen has recently performed solos with Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Ars Lyrica Houston, Harmonia Stellarum, and the Houston Masterworks Chorus. Stephen earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and his Master of Music and DMA
degrees from the University of Houston. His doctoral studies focused on the songs of Franz Liszt, of which he is now a seasoned interpreter. As an educator, Stephen serves as Dean of Fine Arts for the Second Baptist School University Model school system where he enjoys supporting teachers, encouraging students, and lecturing on aesthetics and philosophy. Bass
Daniel Boyd, a Houston native, is a well rounded musician noted for his “exciting coloratura” and “innate musical sense” who finds himself at home with music of the past composers like Handel and Bach, all the way through to current composers of today. Boyd is a recent graduate of Lawrence University where, for his recital “The Black Performer”, he received the Special Judges Citation for A Presentation of Historical and Musical Importance in The American Prize Competition. He has enjoyed a wealth of operatic
performances including both Leporello from Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Judge Turpin from Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd at Seagle Music Festival, as well as John in Melissa Dunphy’s Alice Tierney at Lawrence University. In concert he has been a soloist in works such as Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Fauré’s Requiem, and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem and is thrilled to be making his debut with Mercury Chamber Orchestra as the Bass Soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion.”
PROGRAM NOTES
There are two surviving Passion settings by Johann Sebastian Bach, but he may have composed as many as five, as reported by his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, who wrote his father’s obituary. The St. John Passion, first performed on Good Friday (April 7) of 1724 in Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, is the first of the Passions he composed there (the St. Matthew Passion, the other survivor, was composed in 1727). The genre itself – what historians call the Passion-oratorio – has antecedents that date back to the middle ages. Musical commemorations of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion took place from the 9th century onward with soloists’ chanting of a selected Gospel account of the Passion during Holy Week. By the 15th and 16th centuries, polyphonic passages to depict the speech of crowds were incorporated in alternation with plainchant into what is known as the dramatic Passion. In 17th-century Lutheran Germany, a continued emphasis on a dramatic presentation of the story gave rise to musical settings modeled on the Italian oratorio in which recitatives and choruses that set the words from the Gospel were mixed with arias, duets, and choruses on added hymns and other newly composed verses.
From a 1732 account by Lutheran pastor Christian Gerber of a Passion performance, we know that the resulting style of Passion-oratorio – the very style cultivated by Bach – ruffled the feathers of the more conservative listeners of the time. As Gerber makes clear, such listener found it to be unsuitably theatrical and overly extravagant for the church:
“Gradually the Passion story, which had formerly been sung in simple plainchant, humbly and reverently, began to be sung with many kinds of instruments in the most elaborate fashion, occasionally mixing in a little setting of a Passion Chorale that the whole congregation joined in singing, and then the mass of instruments fell to again. When in a large town this Passion music was done for the first time ... many people were astonished and did not know what to make of it. In the pew of a noble family in church, many Ministers and Noble Ladies were present, who sang the first Passion Chorale out of their books with great devotion. But when this theatrical music began, all these people were thrown into the greatest bewilderment, looked at each other, and said, “What will come of this?” An old widow of the nobility said, “God save us, my children! It’s just as if one were at an Opera Comedy.”
The St. John Passion’s running time of two to two-and-a-half hours testifies to the grand scale of the piece, especially from the standpoint of 1720s Leipzig. Its large-ensemble scoring – fourpart choir plus soloists, strings that originally included two violas d’amore and viola da gamba, paired oboes and flutes, and continuo accompaniment – reinforces our perception of Bach’s ambitions in response to one of the most important rituals in Lutheran worship. The piece also stood as the culmination of his first year of composing church music in Leipzig. He took up his duties there in May of 1723 and set himself
the daunting task of composing a new cantata for each Sunday service. The St. John Passion for the special occasion of the Good Friday Vespers service thus marked the end of nearly a year of prodigious output.
We also know, however, that Bach labored over this piece, producing four different versions by 1749 in his effort to capture the theology of St. John’s Gospel in his musical setting. One challenge in doing so lay in the seeming contradiction between the tone of mourning and grief during the Good Friday commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion and John’s particular emphasis on his glorification through sacrifice. John stands out from the other Gospels in this regard, which we see by comparing Jesus’ final words on the cross as recorded by Matthew and John. In Matthew, we witness Jesus’s agony in his last moments as he calls out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But in John, who emphasizes Jesus’s foreknowledge of his part in God’s plan, Jesus simply affirms “It is finished.”
The juxtaposition of Good Friday mourning, on the one hand, and John’s theme of glorification, on the other, is captured in the opening chorus, “Herr, unser Herrscher dessen Ruhm in allen Landen herrlich ist!” (Lord, our Ruler, whose fame is glorious in all lands). The musical symbols are unambiguous – dissonances in the overlapping oboe lines for pain and the streaming violin motif for tears – but the text and its powerful delivery stress Jesus’ power, magnificence, and divinity. Such an opening would seem crucial to Bach’s interpretation of John’s Gospel, and yet he would later remove that chorus and then put it back again in later versions of the work. Bach must have thought carefully and then reconsidered how he would represent this Gospel in music, but by the end of the work, both the text and music of the concluding chorale underscore our unequivocal gratitude for prophecy fulfilled and salvation bestowed:
In aller Freud, O Gottes Sohn, Mein Heiland Und Genadenthron!
Herr Jesu Christ, erhöre mich,
Ich will dich preisen ewiglich!
The opening and concluding choral movements thus illustrate the workings and challenges of the Passion-oratorio as Bach conceived it. Much of the work, however, proceeds in a recitative setting of the Gospel as Martin Luther had translated it some 200 years before Bach’s setting. That much is the storytelling.
The arias and chorales (i.e., hymns of the Lutheran Church) that are interpolated into the setting of the Gospel text, by contrast, are exegetical. Thus, when Peter weeps for denying Jesus, just as Jesus had predicted, Bach expands upon this moment, first in the aria of distress and regret, “Ach, mein Sinn” (Alas, my soul), to portray any believer who strays, and then in the chorale, “Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück” (Peter, who does not reflect), in which we see Peter in ourselves. With that message, Bach concludes the first part of the St. John Passion. Bach’s listeners would then have heard the sermon that was given between the music’s two parts.
Bach’s St. John Passion thus fulfills two mandates: to dramatize the suffering and death of Jesus as recounted by the Gospel of St. John, and to distill the import of that story for the moral edification of his listeners. Bach’s revisions with respect to the work’s sermonizing function stand out not only because of the rare insight they afford of his creative process as a church musician, but also because there is no known librettist for the St. John Passion. The author of the texts for the opening chorus and arias, and the person who selected the added chorale texts is unknown to us. We are left to wonder –especially in the light of Bach revisions of the St. John Passion – who might have been helping him with its sermonizing function. It may well have been that Bach himself took on that role and, as we now known, that he wrestled with it for years afterward.
Gregory Barnett©
In all joy, O Son of God, My Savior and throne of grace! Hear me,
Lord Jesus Christ, I shall praise you forever!
ANTOINE PLANTE
ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR, LYNN WYATT CHAIR
Praised for his conducting vigor and innovative programming, Antoine Plante has captivated audiences and musicians alike with his ability to bring music to life. Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle lauded him for leading “an impressive account of the Mozart’s Requiem: authoritative, vigorous, emotionally intense, at times utterly gripping.”
As the founder of Mercury Chamber Orchestra in Houston, Texas, Plante has played a pivotal role in the orchestra’s remarkable growth over its 24-year history. Known for his skillful programming of great classical works like Mozart’s 41st Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Reformation alongside lesser-known gems, he has helped Mercury gain a rapidly growing audience. In 2022, he further extended Mercury’s artistic reach by founding the Mercury Singers, the orchestra’s vocal ensemble.
A versatile conductor, Plante excels across a wide repertoire. Equally at home with romantic and modern composers, he also specializes in performing classical and baroque works with period instruments. His expertise extends to staged productions, having conducted numerous operas and ballets. In collaboration with French director Pascal Rambert, Plante produced a modern, critically acclaimed staging of Lully’s Armide in Paris and Houston. He also worked with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater to create the score for Walsh’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. His innovative spirit shone in the multimedia creation of Loving Clara Schumann, a fully staged work featuring orchestra, dancers, and vocal soloists in a compelling dramatic performance.
Plante is a passionate advocate for classical music education. He leads Mercury’s educational outreach program, which brings classroom music education to underserved schools, offers master classes for student orchestras, and provides live performances for schoolchildren.
Under Plante’s leadership, Mercury has grown into a vital cultural institution in Houston, presenting over 40 concerts per season in a variety of venues, making music accessible to the entire community.
Plante has served as guest conductor for esteemed ensembles, including the San Antonio Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, Chanticleer, Houston Grand Opera, Ecuador National Symphony Orchestra, and Atlanta Baroque.
Antoine Plante grew up in Montréal, Québec, Canada and lives in Houston, Texas.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Mercury begins each season with its annual free community concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre over Labor Day Weekend. This year, over 5,000 Houstonians came together to experience a lively Baroque program, “Vivaldi & Telemann,” featuring recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer.
Mercury’s education programs reach numerous schools in Houston ISD and neighboring districts each school year, actively engaging and inspiring the lives of over 5,000 students. Mercury’s teaching artists are in full swing after a well-deserved holiday break. Principal Violist Kathleen Carrington and cellist Daphnee Johnson are hard at work with their ninety young musicians from Scarborough Elementary, implementing a robust musical curriculum tailored to each grade level they teach. We’ve also began activities at The Edison Arts Center where we are pleased to announce a new addition to our teaching artists roster: Ricardo Jiménez, who is a recent DMA graduate of the University of Houston where he worked with Mercury guest Principal Seconds violinist Kirsten Yon. Ricardo is a very gifted musician and dedicated teacher who has received extensive Suzuki Method training and we look forward to seeing what he has in store for the fiddlers of EAC.
Mercury addresses educational needs by providing access to high-quality music education through in-school residencies which offer private lessons, coaching, mentorship, and group instruction to underserved students within the community.
By linking to school curriculum and standards, Mercury’s in-school performances serve as a dynamic learning platform, covering a diverse array of topics through the medium of music.
Mercury performing at Miller Outdoor Theatre
Mercury’s in-school residency
Mercury’s Patron Society recognizes individuals making annual leadership gifts of $2,500 or more. Patron Society members receive complimentary valet parking at Downtown concerts, Green Room access at intermission and after the concert, invitations to private concerts and events, and other exciting benefits.
1.
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Photo Credits:
Lynn Wyatt & Antoine Plante. 2. Dee Kreft, Michael & Gayle Collins, Maggie Kolanski.
Keith & Julie Little. 4. Michael & Marsha Bourque, Stephen Voss. 5. Steve & June Barth, Jonathan Godfrey. 6. Jonathan Godfrey & Ana Trevino-Godfrey. 7. Martha Eskew, Robert Navo, Ginny Hart, Blake Eskew. 8. David & Kelly Rose and Gary & Lisa Cohen
PATRON SOCIETY
Mercury Chamber Orchestra gratefully recognizes the following individuals for their leadership support of our artistic, educational, and community engagement programs through generous annual gifts and participation in special events. For more information about joining the Patron Society, please contact Brittany Schroeder, Development Manager, Individual Giving at brittany@mercuryhouston.org or 713-533-0080.
PLATINUM PATRON SOCIETY
($25,000 and above)
June & Steve Barth*
Patricia Branton & William Gould*
Kirsten Jensen & David Kerley*
Lori Muratta & Antoine Plante
Dr. & Mrs. Christopher Prince*
Kristine & Stephen Wallace*
Lynn & Oscar Wyatt
Anonymous
GOLD PATRON SOCIETY
($15,000-$24,999)
Mollie & Wayne Brunetti*
Martha & Blake Eskew*
Cristela & Bill Jonson*
Mariko & John Jordan*
Mrs. Warren Kreft*
Rosemary Malbin*
Rose Ann Medlin & William E. Joor III*
Gaby & Kenny Owen*
Kelly & David Rose*
SILVER PATRON SOCIETY
($10,000-$14,999)
Donna & Mike Boyd*
Rebecca Fieler*
Lloyd Kirchner*
BRONZE PATRON SOCIETY
($5,000-$9,999)
Marsha & Michael Bourque*
Joe & Kim Caruana
Robert N. Chanon*
Kevin & Meghan Downs*
Marcia & Thomas Faschingbauer*
Marissa & Shane Gilroy
Debra & Mark Gregg
Virginia Hart & Robert Navo*
D M Marco*
Carol & Joel Mohrman*
Neil Sackheim & Stephen Voss*
Robert Sartain*
Linda & Tom Sparks
Ralf van der Ven
Nina & Michael Zilkha*
Anonymous*
PATRON SOCIETY
($2,500-$4,999)
Mary Louise & Mark Berry*
Thomas Bevilacqua & Karen Merriam*
Mary Kay & Walter Mark Buehler
Mindy & Josh Davidson*
Carmen Delgado & Duane C. King*
Nan Earle*
Marilyn & Bill Eiland*
Mary Foster & Don Desimone*
Caroline Freeman
Peter & Chris Godfrey
Nancy & Carter Hixon*
Janice & Tim Howard
Nick Jameson
Lili & Hans Kirchner*
Julie & Keith Little*
Forrest Lumpkin*
Angelika & Michael Mattern*
Dr. Maureen O’Driscoll-Levy
Ruth & Michael Pancherz*
Jackie & Roy Perry
Lalana Pundisto & Michael Fortwengler*
Lisa Rich & John McLaughlin
Andrew J. Sackheim*
Sasha Van Nes* & James E. Smith
Betsy & Rick Weber
Douglas & Carolynne White*
Courtney Williams MD*
*Indicates a Mercury Season Subscriber
As of January 20, 2025
Annual Support
Mercury Chamber Orchestra gratefully recognizes the following individuals who support our artistic, educational, and community engagement programs through generous annual gifts and participation in special events. For more information, please contact Brittany Schroeder, Development Manager, Individual Giving at brittany@mercuryhouston.org or 713-533-0080.
BENEFACTORS
($1,000-$2,499)
Jessica & Jay Adkins
Thomas Beach*
James & Barbara Becker
John Robert Behrman*
Dr. Joan H. Bitar*
Carl R. Cunningham
The Carl & Phyllis Detering Foundation
Dr. Bill & Sharon Donovan
Gary Gardner & Peg Palisin*
Connie & James Garson*
Leonard Goldstein & Helen Wils
Capital Builders
Shannon & Jamie Mann Anonymous (2)
SUPPORTERS
($500-$999)
Joel Abramowitz & Rita Bergers*
Clarruth Seaton & Greer Barriault
D. Bentley*
Cheryl Verlander & Chuck Bracht
Melinda & William Brunger
Dr. Caroline Christensen
Zed Choi
Deborah Lugo & Andrés González
Miriam & Harold Hudson
Molly & Hugh Rice Kelly*
Mary & Rodney Koenig
Bert Medley & Susan Taylor
Candice & Roger Moore*
Tricia & Steve Rosencranz
Penny & Sean Lewis*
Meredith & Ralph Stone
Deborah M. Wagner*
Amy Waldorf
Geoffrey Walker & Ann Kennedy
Kimberly & Trey Wilkinson Anonymous
DONORS
($150 - $499)
Raju Adwaney*
David Bartlow
Margaret Preston & Robert Baumgartner*
Drs. Yvonne Chen & Brandon Bell
Dr. Jerry L. Bohannon*
Gwen Bradford
Becky Browder*
Rustin Buck*
C. Robert Bunch*
Barbara & Jim Carney
Yun Shin Chun
Gilbert Cote*
Chris & Delia Cowles*
Valerie Cramer*
Benée & Chris Curtis*
Carla & Michael Deavers
Dana Dilbeck*
Risha & Patrick Dozark
Frank & Mariam Dumanoir
Corey Eickenloff*
Rev. Paul F. English
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Ferenz*
Sydney Free*
Leslie Gassner
Vernon Gillette*
Dennis Griffith & Louise
Richman
Tamara Haygood*
Kirk Hickey & William Maguire*
Richard & Ruth Hirschfeld
Anne Houang
Shane Hudson*
Brad & Alida Johnson*
Michele Joy & Tom Shahriari
Allen Karger*
Cheryl M. Katz
Frank & Lynda Kelly*
Edward Kenny*
Dennis & Casey Kiley*
Georgia & Stephen Kimmel*
Victoria & Alex Lazar
Mrs. Laura Leib*
Eli Levinowitz
Jim & Ellana Livermore*
Juan Ignacio Mangini
Rebecca Marvil
Nancy Wynne Mattison*
John H. Meltzer*
Steve & Kerry Morby
Robb & Audrey Moses
Joan O’Leary
Jim O’Rourke
Linda Pancherz*
Will & Emily Perry
Patricia Rathwell*
Natalie Riley
Ed & Janet Rinehart*
Brian Rishikof
Steve & Elaine Roach*
Melanie L. Rogers*
Robert & Rosanne Romero*
Dorry Shaddock*
Carol & Tom Sloan*
Barbara & Michael Smith
Richard & Joan Spaw*
Carolyn & Arthur Thompson*
Jonathan Godfrey & Ana
Treviño-Godfrey*
Lindsey & Cory Vanarsdel*
Mrs. Jovan Popovich*
Andrew Wallace
Adriana Wechsler & Patrick Kelly*
Neal Wiley, Cristina Cruz-Wiley & Danny Cruz
Elizabeth D. Williams*
Dr. Robert K. Wimpelberg & Peter Hodgson*
Martha & Richard Wright*
Paul & Andrea Yatsco
Tom Young & Steve Nall
Anonymous (5)
FRIENDS
(up to $149)
Keith Anthis
Tonia Ayres
Jerry S. Baiamonte
Lesly Barrientos
Ann Behravesh
Krisa Benskin
Daniel Biediger*
Daniel & Helene Booser
Dr. Sarah J. Bottomley
Kathy & Walker Brickey*
Wm. F. Brothers, Jr.*
Leslie Brown
Michael & Michaele Brown*
Ian John Butler
Ignacio Carrion
Claudia Castillo
Alex
Camille Converse
Roseline et Karl
Erick Cruz
Lesa Curry
Allan & Bente Davies
Clarice Droughton*
Julietta Ducote
Todd & Emma Edwards*
Kellie Ekeland
John & Judith Fagg
Sepideh Fashami
K. Ferguson
Mark & Alicia Filley
Chalon Fontaine
Laurent Fouilloud-Buyat
Bolivar Fraga
Miguel Fuentes
Terry Gardner
Judy Gersh
Guillermo Gomez
Gail Gould
Mark Happe
Jean Harris
Genevieve Hernandez
Richard Hickman
Lai Ho
Mark Hoose*
Luke Howe*
Weldon Kuretsch*
Kimberly Leishner
Lisa Marcelli
David & Mary Jo Martin
Rebecca Novelo
Yvette Mayes
Douglas Miller
Susan Moore
Kenneth Moore Jr.*
Ana Chacon Morales
Dr. Stacy & Mr. Ronan O’Malley
Carol & Barry Myones
Ugochukwu Onochie
Julie & Chip Oudin*
Janwin Overstreet-Goode & John Goode
Jehan-Francois Paris*
Jose Pastrana
Maria Olga Patino
Tim & Robin Phillips
Ava Plummer*
Maria Powell
The Power Family
Elizabeth Price
Patricia de Groot & Marc Puppo*
Jorge M. Rivas
Jim Robin*
Daniel Robison*
Stephen Ronczy*
Craig & Ann Shepard
Claudia Soler Alfonso
Baxter & Patricia Spann
Tyler Starkel
Mark Stine
Mary Anne Stoner
Barbara J. Taake*
Artem Tarasenko
Susan L Taylor*
Eleanore Tyson
Mary & Chan Tysor
Katherine Vukadin
John R. Ward & Elizabeth A. Fountain
Kent & Bonnie Whitten
Kathleen Wilson
Jim Winn
Edith A. Wittig
John & Helena Zodrow
Anonymous (81)
*Indicates a Mercury Season
Subscriber
As of January 20, 2025
GALA CHAIRS
Ally Shell & Marti jn van Koolwijk
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH
Thompson Houston
GIFTS IN HONOR OR MEMORIAL
Elle & Clarke Anderson, in honor of Kenny & Gaby Owen
Drs. Yvonne Chen & Brandon Bell, in honor of Meghan & Kevin Downs
Barbara & Jim Carney, in honor of Betty Jo Diller
Lesa Curry, in honor of Ana Treviño-Godfrey & Jonathan Godfrey
Carl A. Detering Jr., in honor of J. Michael Boyd
Dr. Bill & Sharon Donovan, in honor of Patrick Donovan
Rev. Paul F. English, in honor of Fr. John F. Robbins, CSB
Laurent Fouilloud-Buyat, in honor of Christian Fouilloud-Buyat
Caroline Freeman, in memory of Marion Merseburger
Gail Gould, in memory of Steven Friedlander
Nick Jameson, in memory of Karin Fliegel Jameson
Rosemary Malbin, in loving memory of Michael Malbin
Juan Ignacio Mangini, in memory of Oscar R. Mangini, M.D.
Lisa Marcelli, in memory of Stephen H. Friedlander
The Miller Family, in memory of Sheldon Miller
Mrs. Audrey Moses, in honor of Robb Moses
Will & Emily Perry, in honor of Kenny & Gaby Owen
The Power Family, in memory of Rosemary Power
Patricia Rathwell, in honor of Mark Rathwell
Robert Sartain, in memory of Margaret A. Reinke
Andrew Wallace, in honor of Stephen Wallace
Trey Wilkinson, in memory of Vey Spin
Tom Young & Steve Nall, in honor of Simone Plante
John B. Zodrow, in honor of The Kirchner Family
Anonymous, in honor of Chandrakanta
We greatly appreciate each gift and have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Please notify us of any inaccuracies or omissions at help@mercuryhouston.org.
Foundations, Corporate, and Government Support
Mercury Chamber Orchestra gratefully recognizes the following foundations, corporations, and government entities that support our artistic, educational, and community engagement programs through generous annual grants and sponsorships. For more information, please contact Chloe Bruns, Development Manager, Institutional Giving at chloe@mercuryhouston.org or 713-533-0080.
CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE
($75,000 +)
Houston Endowment Inc.
Anonymous
CONCERTMASTER’S CIRCLE
($50,000 - $74,999)
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
PLATINUM CIRCLE
($25,000 - $49,999)
ConocoPhillips
Houston Arts Alliance
Texas Commission on the Arts
The Wyatt Foundation
GOLD CIRCLE
($15,000 - $24,999)
De Boulle Diamond & Jewelry
Miller Outdoor Theatre Advisory Board
National Endowment for the Arts
Shell Oil Company Foundation
SILVER CIRCLE
($10,000 - $14,999)
Adell, Harriman, & Carpenter, Inc.
Lucius & Eva Eastman Fund
The Albert and Ethel Herzstein
Charitable Foundation
The Sartain & Tamez Family Trust Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation
South Coast Terminals
Western Midstream SLT
BRONZE CIRCLE
($5,000 - $9,999)
Acretio Consulting & Investments
Arts Connect Houston
Bp Foundation
Chevron
Citi
ExxonMobil Foundation
Haynes Boone
Mexcor International
Platform Partners
Spotlight Energy, LLC
Truist
Vortex Companies
Experience
Etiquette
Out of respect for the musicians and your fellow audience members, please be sure to silence your mobile devises and refrain from texting or talking during the performing. Disruptive patrons will be asked to leave.
Late Seating
Late seating is often available during the first convenient break in the performance and is always at the discretion of the ushers. Always allow plenty of time for traffic, parking, and getting to your seat.
Devices
Recording of Mercury performances by camera, audio, or video equipment is prohibited. You are welcome to take pictures before or after the orchestra performs. Please share your experience on social media.
Food & Beverage
At our venues, outside food and drink are not allowed. Wortham Center performances have food and beverages for sale in the Grand Foyer and Prairie Lobby. Drinks may be brought into the Cullen Theater for the performance.
Tickets
Subscribers may exchange their tickets to any performance at no cost. Single tickets are not eligible for exchange or refund. If you are unable to make a performance, your ticket may be donated prior to the concert for a tax-donation receipt. Donations and exchanges may be made in person, over the phone, or online.
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Mercury is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston and Harris County through the Houston Arts Alliance and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Administrative Offices
2900 Weslayan Street, Suite 500
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713.533.0080
Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM Monday-Friday
www.mercuryhouston.org
COMING SOON
Bach to Joropo
Neighborhood Series
April 10-13
Featuring Alexis Cárdenas and Jorge Glem.
Mercury Board and Administrative Team
Board OF DIRECTORS
Steve Barth President
Keith Little Treasurer
Rebecca Fieler Secretary
Blake Eskew Immediate Past President
Antoine Plante Artistic Director
Brian Ritter Executive Director
Mark Berry
Marsha Bourque
Kevin Downs
Sofia Durham
Marcia Faschingbauer
Shane Gilroy
Bill Guest
Ginny Hart
Kirsten Jensen
Lloyd Kirchner
Forrest Lumpkin
Rose Ann Medlin
Kenny Owen
James E. Smith
Ana Treviño-Godfrey
Ralf van der Ven
Stephen Wallace
Lynn Wyatt
Special Advisor
Administrative Team
Antoine Plante Artistic Director, Lynn Wyatt Chair
Brian Ritter Executive Director
Chloe Bruns Development Manager, Institutional Giving
Brittany Schroeder Development Manager, Individual Giving
Nicholas Gerling Box Office Manager
Katie DeVore
Operations Manager
Matthew Carrington Personnel Manager & Music Librarian sponsored by Rebecca Fieler
Andrés González Education Manager
Ryan Barrett Rachel Piero Stage Managers
Sectorlab LLC Marketing Consultant
Tyler Starkel YPTC Accountant
BEND Productions and Ben Doyle Videography
Melissa Taylor Graphic Designer
COMING SOON
Mendelssohn’s
Violin Concerto
Wortham Center,
Cullen Theater
MAY 17 • 8:00PM
FEATURING
Featuring Kerson Leong
Violin
Kerson Leong
Violin
Boccherini’s Night in Madrid OCT 12
English Romantic Strings NOV 9
Christmas with Nicole Heaston DEC 7
Vivaldi, Handel & Bach JAN 11
Loving Clara Schumann FEB 8 & 9
Bach’s St. John Passion MAR 22
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto MAY 17
Classical Piano Trios OCT 24-27
English Baroque Christmas DEC 19-22
Bach to Joropo APR 10-13